


The Infinity War Alternate

by toggledog



Series: Ironfrost [3]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, M/M, Non-Canonical Character Death, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, alternative universes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:23:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toggledog/pseuds/toggledog
Summary: Tony was on the Asgardian refugee ship, when Thanos and his followers attacked. When Thanos manhandles his boyfriend, Loki's magic (intended to keep the frustrated Tony unheard, unseen, pinned to the wall and safe) isn't enough to disable Tony from attacking the mad titan.In a parallel universe where Loki and Tony are lovers, the events of Infinity War occur in a similar and yet vastly different fashion.Obvious Infinity War spoilers. This deals in parallel universes, including the one in which the movie is set.





	The Infinity War Alternate

**Author's Note:**

> This can be seen as a follow up to 'The Prisoner' and 'The Reprieve', both which trace Loki and Tony's growing relationship, from around the time of 'Civil War' then through 'Thor Ragnarok'. It's not necessary to read those, however, as this works as a stand alone piece too.
> 
> I was rather disappointed by Infinity War for quite a few reasons (although the ending was brilliant), not the least of which was the disrespect, I felt, in how the writers/directors treated Loki (essentially 'fridging' him to establish Thanos as the 'big bad' and giving Thor motivation to want to kill Thanos.) 
> 
> This is my own take as to what would have happened, had Tony been there...

Tony struggled against the magnetic field holding his iron man suit against the interior wall of the spacecraft. He had fought valiantly against the ( _asshole, yep veritable anus scraping_ ) aliens from the gigantic ship that had been firing on them, before the ship’s inhabitants boarded and commenced to slaughter every Asgardian they came across. Though great in might and strength, the Asgardian’s refugee status disallowed any fair chance to fight against their sudden slayers. As the bodies fell around them, Loki, standing in the centre of his downed comrades, had spun around to face Tony, terror sparking in his pale blue irises. To his right, Thor lay on the floor, very still, amongst the dead, as though he were one of them.

_No no, Thor can’t be dead. Thor is might and muscle and awesomeness wrapped up in a golden demi-god almost as amazing as I am._

 “You-“ Tony had been about to deliver a verbal and physical stomping that these genocidal lunatics would not recover from, when the suit, and thus himself, propelled back through the air, before connecting to the metallic wall, where he had been forced to now linger. He couldn’t even move his hand, to free himself. Though magnets could be an issue with the suit, he suspected Loki’s magic was the true force keeping him stuck. Hence, he watched, helpless, as the giant purple colossus ( _So who’s the giant thumb?)_ entered the ship, with his three, equally as ugly followers. They surrounded the still standing Loki straight away, as well as Thor. As Thor screamed, verifying that he was alive and allowing Tony to unclench muscles he hadn’t realised he had tensed, the giant thumb picked the demi-god up and threw him to the ground, slamming him up and down, before he was still, once more. Loki watched this with no sound, though his eyes glittered with malice. Tony shouted every slander his brilliant mind could come up with but no one reacted. So, it was confirmed; his beloved Loki, who was going to receive a megaton blast of Tony’s temper, should they get out of this alive, had used his magic, to keep him pinned to the wall, essentially invisible to the others, and unable to now help in the fight, in any capacity whatsoever.

_There are others on this ship._

Sweat dripped down Tony’s forehead, stinging his eyes.

_Where is Bruce? Korg?_

The follower of the purple thumb, who resembled the crypt keeper, started to monologue, talking in a booming voice, of how ‘grateful’ they should all be for their sacrifice. Despite all of the death and destruction around him, Tony tittered, in response. Typical villains. Loved to hear the sound of their own voices and cliqued dialogue. Even his Loki wasn’t exempt.

Tony’s query as to where Bruce was became answered, when Loki, borrowing one of his own lines, answered.

“We have a Hulk!”

The giant green man stomped through the ship, missing Tony by mere centimetres, as he clashed with the purple thumb. The fight lasted less than a minute, before the Hulk was thrown down, and lay motionless on the ground.

_Well, that was anticlimactic._

The purple thumb, who revealed himself to be Thanos, enquired about the tesseract. Tony blinked, puzzled as to what he would want with such an item, apart from its powerful qualities, which, Tony supposed, was in keeping with this purple thumb being a colossus power hungry douchebag.

“… it was destroyed when Asgard was destroyed…” Thor said.

Tony swallowed. That was not… entirely true…

Not true at all.

He had been with Loki when he’d snatched it from its receptacle in the bowels of Asgard, before Surtur destroyed the entire golden city.

Thanos grabbed Thor by the head and squeezed. As Thor screamed in obvious agony, Tony struggled valiantly against his invisible binds.

_Damn you, Loki! I need to be free! I need to-_

“Enough!” Loki shouted and, with a resigned expression, materialised the tesseract in his hand, while Thor swore at him. Based on Thor’s indignant reaction, Tony was surprised Thor expected any more from his trickster brother.

_How long have you known Loki, and you’re still expecting him to give up on his being a dick at times capacity?_

Pleased, Thanos placed the gem from inside the tesseract inside the glove on his left hand, before speaking to his followers of his plans to go to earth, to collect the other infinity stones. With earth at risk, Tony was certain the others would be able to hear his rampaging heart, the volume of which surely now overcame his shrieking and cursing.

_Damn you Loki! Release me!_

“If you’re going to earth, you will need a guide,” Loki said.

Tony ceased struggling, intrigued as to where his partner was going, with this new line of conversation. He didn’t believe that Loki would turn to follow this man who had killed his fellow refuge Asgardians. This became clear, when Loki looked directly at the downed Thor and confirmed he was “Odinson”. What Tony didn’t comprehend, was Loki’s stupidity, in his plan to go against the purple thumb with a tiny knife.

Of course, it didn’t work. As he thrust it against the giant man’s chest, Thanos grinned back at him.

_What were you thinking, Loki?_

The giant lifted Loki up by the neck and, as choking sounds came out of Loki’s ( _oh so kissable when he isn’t indulging in all manner of naughtiness… often with me by his side_ ) mouth, adrenaline burst out of Tony’s adrenal medulla, flooding blood to his muscles. With a yell that approximated the cry of an enraged papa bear, Tony tore off the wall, barging in his Iron Man suit straight towards Loki and Thanos. He was being reckless and ridiculous as usual and this would probably kill him, but he didn’t care. If he was going to die saving Loki, then so be it.

Thanos turned from Loki, giant purple mouth revealing a toothy white smile.

“Well, this is interesting,” he said, throwing Loki to the ground, where he coughed and spluttered. “Where did you come from?”

“Tony, no!” Thor shouted, as Tony fisted the suit’s giant hand and sent it flying into the thumb’s ugly purple face.

If the situation wasn’t so dire, Tony would have made a wisecrack as to his utter loss of dignity, when Thanos rose his arm and slapped him down to the ground, to land beside Loki.

“He’s…no one,” Loki’s voice was scratchy, missing its usual velvet tone. “Not worthy of your attentions.” He stood up, his feet unsteady. “I believe you were in the middle of attempting to strangle me to death. By the way, you will never be a god.”

Thanos turned back to Loki.

“Really?”

A roar erupted behind them, and the Hulk re-emerged, running at Thanos once more.

“I’m getting pretty tired of this,” Thanos said, seizing the spear off his follower’s hands and ramming it straight through the Hulk’s chest.

Tony had no breath in him to scream, his body devoid of any emotion, as Hulk returned to an open-mouthed Banner, who collapsed to the ground, instantly turning the waxy white of death.

_No… that can’t be…_

Tony should have stood up, to again fight the madman thumb and protect both Loki and Thor. Instead, he gazed at the waxy body of his friend. Bruce, his science bro, who had been his intellectual equal, who he had laughed and jested and drunk beer with and argued semantics, who he had created a killer robot with.

To die, without honour, stabbed by a purple madman and lying on the floor of a dusty refugee ship. It wasn’t right. Tony was old enough to understand the world wasn’t all cocktails at sunset while receiving an amazing blow job from a beautiful human. Life could be messy and brutal. Being a virtuous person didn’t guarantee a virtuous life. Just as being a terrible person didn’t mean justice would be dealt.

Even so, Tony didn’t want to comprehend this, didn’t want to involve the chaos of the universe as a factor in Bruce’s death.

“You son of a bitch!” He shouted at Thanos, as he slid down his Iron Man visor, to show his visage to the purple thumb. If this was to be his end, he wanted his murderer to look into his eyes.

Loki was swift to stand between him and Thanos.

“Can we please ignore the pathetic human and talk tactics?” Without looking, Loki reached back with his hand and physically pushed Tony with such force he stumbled back a couple of steps. “I believe you were talking about me being a guide-“

In that moment, Heimdall, lying on the ground near Thor, and who Tony presumed had died, with the rest of the Asgardians, spoke.

“Go to earth, Tony! Warn them!”

His staff thumped into the earth and Tony’s suit was sucked downwards, away from the ship.

Away from Loki.

“Loki!” He gripped Loki’s arm, pulling him to him.

“No, Tony!” Loki shouted.

As they flew out of the ship at tremendous speed, Thor let out a cry of anguish. Tony didn’t need to see, to understand that Thanos had killed Heimdall, for his actions. Holding onto Loki’s arm with such a tight grip a human would suffer bruising and even a fracture, Tony had no concept of gravity or weight. The scientist in him would have been impressed by the phenomena of falling at great speed and distance to earth. The human was terrified and, if he were to be honest with himself, exhilarated.

Without slowing down, they fell through the roof and ceiling of a building, crashing with brutal impact into the ground.

“Damn… that… that hurt!” Tony groaned, as fiery pain ravaged his back, thighs and arms. Appraising his torso, he was amazed to discover that, despite some impressive bruises that were going to appear in the next few hours, he was uninjured.

“Damn you, Tony! Damn you!” Loki smacked his Iron Man chest and sat up. “Doctor Strange…” He whispered.

Tony looked up, to Doctor Strange and his friend, Wong, staring down at them.

*

“Of course he wants all the Infinity Stones!” Loki walked away from Tony, to stand beside a cabinet of elaborate masks, folding his arms.

“Loki, please confirm to me that this is an elaborate joke, and that you’re not angry with me for saving your life?” One of the masks to the right of Loki's head bore too close a resemblance to a clown’s face, for Tony’s comfort.

“My place is with my people! Not here!” Loki gestured around the admittedly elegant furniture and other oddments of the sanctorum.

Pivoting his body away from the cabinet, so he was more angled towards where Stephen and Wong stood, in front of the staircase, Tony wasn’t going to remind him he’d spent the last three years on earth with him, before the vacation-of-sorts on the planet with the bizarre Grandmaster, followed by the destruction of Asgard ( _Wonder if Hela survived her fight with Surtur? With everything going on, we don’t even know if Asgard can be habitable again…)._ Also, to be cruel but precise, his people were mainly now dead. However, there was no arguing with Loki when he was in such a foul mood.

“When you worked for him, what did he say? What were his plans?” Doctor Strange asked.

“It was not as though we were friends on social media,” Loki frowned. Tony’s lips quirked and he bit his bottom lip. Despite being a narcissist, Loki held a revulsion towards social media, and was always quick to criticise all forms. “I’m not sure why he’s determined to collect all six infinity stones _now_. He had ten years to achieve this aim.”

“Even more bewildering as to why he’d give one to you. He should know you are a trickster god,” Wong said.

Loki broke out into a genuine warm smile.

“I can be very charming. Have you not noticed? Tony has.”

Wong gazed at Tony and raised his eyebrows. Tony shrugged.

“I don’t think this Thanos-“

An explosion of sudden sound cut off Tony’s sentence; screams of terror, the squeal of car tires, the patter of running feet. With no desire to finish his thought, Tony stormed past the freaky-mask cabinet, pushed open the heavy doors and continued out onto the street, to chaos around him, cars slamming into each other, people sprinting back and forth. He took off his sunglasses, to more clearly visualise the sight before him. Another damned alien ship had now landed in the middle of New York.

This time, rather than being fearful or traumatised, Tony allowed the fury to course through him, to give him strength.

If these alien ballsacks presumed they were going to trample through his beloved Big Apple, for the necklace around Doctor Strange’s neck, they would not have a pleasant visit to the city that was too crazy and too beautiful to destroy.

*

Tony had always accepted that his life was as strange as the man he had just helped rescue from being tortured. Having an arrogant personality helped in accepting whatever ridiculousness life threw at him, for the majority of the time, at least. As Loki was wont to remind him, he was still human and thus prey to all of the requisite pains, struggles and anguishes.

Being trapped on a space ship floating who-knows where in space, with his trickster god lover, a magician and a teenaged boy with spider powers, was another day in his whacky life, which had become infinitely more whacky since he had barged his way into Loki’s cell block on Asgard three years before, and had come to comprehend the true vulnerability beyond the demi-god’s seeming narcissistic brutal exterior. His raven-haired beauty now stood, with his arms folded, in the corner of the room, sulking. Doctor Strange paced, as Peter spoke effusively about the interior of the ship, running his hands over the smooth edges of the chairs and panels.

“This material looks to be super conductive…”

From one spaceship to another. One brutal battle to another. Thanos’s now frozen in space second had not managed to retrieve the stone from Doctor Strange, through torture. However, despite all of their efforts in New York, Thanos’s followers still managed to reek a fair amount of havoc on the fair city.

_But he doesn’t have the stone…yet…_

_How much havoc can this Thanos dish out, even with four stones or five or six?_

With his innards clenching and hands shaking, Tony stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and came over to Loki, unfolding his arms, placing them around his shoulders and kissing his lips. Loki stiffened, before tightening his arms around Tony’s neck and returning the kiss with ferocious passion, their tongues eagerly duelling with each other. In the background, Peter was still prattling on.

“I knew you couldn’t stay angry at your amazing boyfriend,” Tony said when they released.

“Tony…” Loki exhaled. “Thor is dead.”

Peter abruptly ceased talking.

“Thor is dead?” The teenager asked.

“No, we don’t know that for sure,” Tony said.

“I tried to…” Loki grabbed Tony’s hands and squeezed so hard Tony’s flesh ached. “I was certain we were all going to perish. Heimdall could not send us _all_ back to earth.”

Irritation spiked in Tony’s stomach.

“Why did you go after Thanos with a damned knife, Loki? Honestly, you’re meant to be smart! What the hell were you doing?” Tony asked, pulling his hands away from Loki’s, so the demi-god placed his hands around Tony’s back, resting his forehead on his lover’s.

“I forgive you, Tony, for forcing me to earth with you-“

“For saving your life, you mean?” Tony again pulled away from him.

This time, Loki didn’t attempt to touch him again. Tony clenched his fists, resisting the urge to reach for Loki, himself.

“Thanos would not let me live. The Hulk had failed. Thor had been defeated. Heimdall would send you to earth. You would be safe. Would warn the others. I would have one chance-“

“I get wanting to try kill him… as ridiculous as it sounds,” Relenting, Tony closed the distance between them and ran a hand through Loki’s silky dark tresses. “But why the knife?”

“Why not? It had a certain elegance to it. My death would-”

_Your death?_

The irritation was now coasting through his body, flooding his muscles with enough blood to tempt him to lash out at his lover, to grab him and shake him, demanding he comprehend the stupidity of his actions, from the moment he forced Tony out of the action by pinning his iron suit against the wall, to when he went at Thanos with a piddly knife.

_But then what would be the point? Loki did whatever he wanted to. As he always does._

 “We need to discuss-“ Stephen began.

“How Loki cares squat about our relationship? Yes, that sounds like a good thing to discuss!” Tony fumed.

The confused expression marring Loki’s pale features upped the anger pulsating through his veins even further.

“No, this is not the time for-“ Stephen said.

“I had no choice, Tony! Thanos had already-“

“I don’t want to hear it!” Tony placed his hand up, in a ‘stop’ gesture. “Yes, fine, what’s the plan?” He turned to Doctor Strange, folding his arms and clenching his muscles to cease their tremble.

Stephen blinked, clearly taken aback by Tony’s about face.

“We take the fight to Thanos. We go to Titan.”

“Hold on, what?” Peter asked, moving to stand beside Tony. “We’re actually going to go _towards_ that maniac?”

“Fine!” Tony stalked to the captain’s chair, flung it back and sat down. “The navigation systems shouldn’t be too hard to work out. Tell me where it is.”

As Stephen sat down beside him, explaining Titan's location, Tony cleared his mind, forcing away thoughts of anger and hurt, at Loki’s actions. For Loki to consider himself as dispensable, after all Tony had done for him, had forgiven him for his actions on New York, had given his body to him, and Loki had given his, in return-

“Are you sure you have all this?” Stephen asked, a line appearing on his forehead.

“Yes, I have it,” Tony followed his instruction, tapping on various buttons on the control panel and pulling various levers. The ship's navigational system wasn't too difficult to work out.

The space ship shot forward.

“How long will this take?” Peter asked.

“A little under three hours.”

“Three hours before certain death,” Peter said, with a sardonic tone. “Should have brought a few comic books.”

Light hands went around Tony’s chest, as soft lips kissed his neck.

“I’m not in the mood, Loki…”

“My Tony… How I love you so…”

_No, Loki. You don’t get to do that! You don’t get to pretend that it was fine to sacrifice yourself for that purple idiot!_

“You sure as hell showed it today,” Tony said.

“Thanos would kill me either way, Tony. I had failed him. I at least had one try.  You would be safe. That was my only relief. And that I was able to show Thor my true allegiance had never changed. I am Asgardian. Odinson.”

Tony spun around in the cockpit chair to face him.

“My Tony would live,” Loki knelt so they were at eye level, his blue irises overly bright. “You’re the most brilliant man. Even…” He swallowed. “Even beyond me. You would find a way to stop Thanos. Even in the knowledge I was going to die, there was comfort in that.”

“Loki…” Upon viewing the vulnerability crinkling his partner’s delicate features, Tony’s anger dissipated, and he pulled their torsos together. “You damned idiot!”

“When you broke free of my magic…” Loki said as he stroked Tony’s hair with his long fingers. “The terror I experienced. Before that, you were safe, hidden from Thanos’ sight. I was convinced he would kill you.”

“I’m disappointed by that ridiculous plan of yours, to sacrifice yourself for no reason! You’re the god of mischief! I’ve seen how clever you can be!” Tony said, looping his arms around Loki’s neck.

“My people had been slaughtered! I wasn’t at my best….” He paused, pulled back to look Tony in the face, once more, his pale irises glimmering with pained emotion. “Tony, I am sorry about Bruce. You two held a special bond.”

“Bruce as in Bruce Banner?” Peter asked, a tremor in his voice.

Tony looked over Loki’s shoulder, to where Peter sat next to a meditating Stephen, and nodded.

“No…” Peter shook his head. “Why is this happening?”

“It’s happening because Thanos is a….” Loki loped his arm around Tony’s back. “To borrow a phrase from Tony, is a complete douchenozzle.”

Despite the anguish permeating his features, Peter laughed.

*

In a glossy magazine featuring an article on the ten thousand planets to take one’s next vacation, the barren, lifeless Titan wouldn’t warrant a mention, Tony mused, as he walked around a particularly grotesque large craggy rock. Even the now fiery Asgard would make at least the top five thousand planets. Nice place to go for warmth, after Loki’s home Frost world.

“I can’t believe I’m on an alien planet…” Peter said. “And it’s boring!”

Tony shrugged. Kid had a point. He knelt down and picked up sand off the earth. What foreign minerals did this alien landscape consist of? If he took this back to earth it would be held in high regard, studied, awed over. Simple sand. If Bruce was there-

Tony’s intestines viciously spasmed, sorrow clenching his throat. Bruce was not there, was never going to be anywhere around him again.

“…the possibilities as to what to do with Thanos…” Walking behind him and Peter, Loki spoke to Stephen.

Pushing his anguish as far down as he could, Tony rose. No time to grieve not now. He stepped back and stood beside Loki. His partner’s lovely visage was strained, paler than usual, his lips pursed. Loki had also lost so much, too much to be fair; his people, his brother, Asgard. Yes, the universe was a cold, unforgiving place. But even Tony, in his cynicism, could not comprehend one to receive so much pain and suffering. It was unjustly cruel.

“He’s here! Thanos,” Loki said. “Tony, I will not allow you to come to any harm.”

Despite the hammering of his heart against his ribcage, Tony was prepared, even thrilled, to face off against the purple thumb again.

_This time he will come off the worst._

“Not this time, Loki!” Tony cupped his chin, tenderly moving the beloved face to his. “No magic to protect me.”

“My Tony, if any harm were to come to you…”

If this was going to be their fight with Thanos, he would risk one last prolonged kiss before his death, which Loki, tugging at Tony’s hair, willingly obliged.

*

This group, who called themselves the guardians of the galaxy, were lessening Tony’s already considerable short temper and growing frustration. The young alien woman, Mantis, was fine, he supposed, the best of the bunch. However, Drax was an idiot and their leader, Peter Quill, was not only arrogant but an idiot as well, which was always a dangerous combination. From the snatches of Loki’s bemused glances to him, his partner held the same beliefs. It didn’t help matters that they had pounced on them and held Peter captive, threatening to kill him. Tony wasn’t particularly fond of children, but the spider slinger was alright. If pressed, he would argue more than alright. Quill shouldn’t have threatened him.

 According to Stephen, there was only one plan that would work. When he said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous, to Tony. However, if that was the plan, so be it.

Once the purple titan arrived on the planet, the plan was going well, even including another, blue woman who had come in to kill Thanos ( _because why not? He’s pissed off a lot of people with his extremist antics…Loki, my beloved, even you were an amateur compared to this purple thumb of crazy_ ) until Quill proved himself to be even more of an idiot, to Tony.

“What have you done to Gamora?” He shouted at the downed Thanos.

Evidentially, they had also lost one of their own. Tony would have been sympathetic, had Quill not taken the moment they were about to take the infinity gauntlet off his wrist, to upset the plan.

“Ridiculous!” Loki, who, with Mantis, had been using his powers to keep Thanos drowsy, came forward with his knife. “Why try pull the gauntlet off when you can chop his hand off by the wrist?”

_Thank you, Loki!_

“I did think that too!” Tony said.

The blue woman, Nebula, confirmed this Gamora was likely dead. Quill lost all semblance of reason. Tony wasn’t sure how it even happened. Everything became a blur. People around him yelled and Thanos said.

“Nice try.”

*

Another planet, another depressing dark world. Tony was starting to see a pattern. He glanced to the side, to Loki, looking around, with clear curiosity warming his intelligent features.

“Where are we?” Tony asked.

_Please don’t let this be the afterlife. I don’t want my death to be because of that idiot Quill._

“Nidavellir. the world of the Dwarves… but as I’ve never seen… No…” Loki shook his head and grasped Tony’s hand, as he ventured forward, into a bright green moss covered cave, that sloped down to an eye-boggling interior, of inky black. “This does not make sense…”

“Does anything, right now?” Tony asked, endeavouring not to be astonished by the stalactites, the size of his own tower, jutting down before him in spikes of cold grey.

“Nidavellir is a planet of great beauty and grandeur.”

“Probably was, before Thanos got to it.”

Loki again shook his head. “Come, let us investigate further.”

They moved further into the dark husk of the cave. With each step, heat seeped into Tony’s frigid flesh, warming, soothing. Loki gripped his hand tighter, walked faster.

“So, Dwarves?” Tony asked.

“Not as on earth,” Loki’s lips upraised in a bemused grin. “These are tall, for one.”

“Hm…”

“They create alluring and beautiful trinkets, using the power of a sun.”

As they ventured forward, the cave grew lighter, highlighting the stark beauty of jutting silver and pastel speleothems, which refracted rainbow colours in the lakes of still water they walked around.

“As we come closer to the sun, you must not look, Tony,” Loki said. “The brightness would be too much for your human eyesight.”

_Great… just when I’m about to see something that no human ever has._

“Seriously? You’re saying that to me now?”

“Close your eyes.”

Scowling, Tony did as he bid. Loki placed a strong arm around his waist and guided him forward.

“You may open your eyes. They have turned off-“ Loki began.

“Who the hell are you?” A voice sounded.

Tony opened his eyelids and gasped. They stood at the base of a wide chasm littered with mechanical equipment similar to what would be found in a tool shed, on earth, only ten times the size. A mechanical saw that could rip through all of his iron men at once sat to his left. The source of the voice instantly confirmed to be a furry creature, who stood up to Tony’s waist, glaring up at them.

“Who are you?” Tony asked.

“Loki?” A clang sounded. Tony turned his head to the cause. Thor had dropped the hammer he had been holding. The clang had been the weapon hitting the sodden ground. “Loki you’re alive!”

As he rushed across and pulled his startled brother into his arms, Tony’s gaze wandered to the weapon on the ground. He knew Thor’s hammer, knew the size, the grip, the texture, had even tried to lift it.

_That is not Thor’s hammer._

“I knew you would find a way to fake your death!” Tears of joy leaked down Thor’s chiselled features.

“How did you survive Thanos’ onslaught?” Loki asked.

“He destroyed the ship and I was left, floating in space. I was picked up by the Guardians.”

“Oh, _those_ idiots!” Tony murmured.

“Hey, they’re not _all_ idiots!” The furry creature said, folding his arms.

“I am groot!”

Flinching, Tony turned his neck, to the astonishing creature walking around a giant table, towards him.

_Yep that’s a tree. A tree just talked to me._

“Tony!” Thor released Loki, to embrace Tony. “How is this possible? I have not seen you for many a year! How did you and Loki -?”

Tony and Loki caught eyes, as Tony’s heart dove into his abdomen.

_Hasn’t seen me for many a year?_

_Oh…_

_Oh no._

“What is happening? Who are you two?” A gruff voice sounded from behind.

Tony spun around, to a grizzled tall being with a magnificent black beard, towering over him with his arms folded.

_Ah, so this is the dwarf._

“Thor…” Loki bit his bottom lip, as though internally fighting an internal battle. He stepped back to Tony and grabbed his hand, raising it to kiss it.

The expression on Thor’s handsome visage wold be amusing, if the situation wasn’t so desperate. He stared at them as though Tony had assured him that he was pregnant with Loki’s twins.

“What is happening here? What have you done to Tony, Loki?” Thor asked. “What magic-?”

Loki exhaled and confirmed what Tony had already deduced.

“You are not my Thor,” Loki said.

For a moment, no one spoke. Tony could see the cogs turning in the brain of this Thor before them, a change from denial to fact. If his own wasn’t at stake, Tony would have been thrilled at the chance to explore this new universe, discover its exact differences. Perhaps, in this one, he wasn’t quite as handsome.

_No, impossible. I am gorgeous in every universe._

“In my universe, Tony was taken to Asgard after being shot and almost dying on earth,” Loki said. “Tony was a great comfort to me, after a terrible anguish. He and I became life partners. I have been on Midgard for three years, now.”

 “Parallel universe, huh?” The furry creature said. “I’d heard it was possible, but…”

“I am groot!”

“You’re not Loki? You weren’t slaughtered by Thanos on our refugee ship?” Thor asked, a haunting vulnerability marring his strong features.

“What happened?” Tony asked.

“He lifted Loki by the throat. Crushed his neck. Threw his lifeless body down as though he were trash.”

_Lifted Loki by the throat. But, in our universe, Thanos also-_

A chill overtook his system. He had been the factor. It was his intervention that had saved Loki from the same fate.

“The same thing happened in our universe. Thanos had Loki by the throat, but I ran in and Thanos let him go.”

“Parallel universe…” Thor said, appearing contemplative. “My Loki sacrificed himself for others and resides in Valhalla now. But another lives on.”

Tony didn’t realise how much he was shaking, until Loki’s arm went around his waist, pulling him close to his own body. How many other ways did this play out? Tony considered Stephen’s predictions. Were these millions of possibilities playing out in differing universes? Who lived and who died?

_In which universe did I die?_

“Loki and I aren’t together in this universe?” Tony asked.

Thor’s brows simultaneously furrowed, as his eyes widened, lending him an odd, almost comical expression.

“I cannot even conceive of such a bizarre union.”

The furry creature… Tony was beginning to think, based on the markings, that it was a racoon, burst out into laughter.

“Now that’s just harsh!”

“I am groot!” Tony was convinced there was agreement, in the three words.

“Thanos will pay dearly for what he did to Loki and my people,” Thor said.

Tony opened his mouth to agree-

And found himself back on Titan, with Loki beside him. Before them, all of the guardians, plus Nebula, were fighting the purple thumb.

“Thanos _murdered_ me in another dimension!”

“Loki!” Tony shouted.

Too late, Loki now joined the fray, whipping out his knives and stabbing and slashing at Thanos, using his powers to zap in and out of his view, throwing illusion after illusion at him. The titan growled, swatted those battling him and throwing them to and fro, but was unable to seize the disappearing and reappearing Loki. Tony pressed a button to snap the Iron Man helmet over his head and flew forward. Thanos easily grabbed him by the suit and slammed him into the ground once, twice, three times, before the suit disintegrated.

“No!”

With the others lying unconscious or disabled around them, and only Loki remaining, Loki jumped onto Thanos’ neck, raising his knives above his head, to bring them down on Thanos’ skull. The titan plucked him by the leg and threw him aside. Loki tumbled down, landed on his hip and was up, running back towards him.

Tony experienced the jab to his lower abdomen but no pain. He glanced down, in curiosity, at the blood pouring from the wound.

“No! No!’ Loki screamed, as Thanos lifted Tony up.

“Wait!” Stephen’s voice sounded.

“Don’t…” Tony gasped.

He was going to do it. Stephen was going to give him the infinity stone, after everything he had said he wouldn’t do. It wasn’t worth it. Tony’s own life wasn’t worth the lives of billions.

Too late, the stone was handed over. Thanos took it and disappeared into a portal, which closed up around him.

“Tony!” Loki gripped him around the waist, pulled him to himself, marking his face with slobbery kisses.

“Why did you do that?” Tony asked Stephen.

“I had to. I’m sorry.”

“I’m okay. I’ll live,” Tony grumbled, as Loki continued kissing him, now on the patches of skin of his chest that were visible through his torn shirt.

Loki tore his shirt up, murmuring to himself. Heat and tingling tickled the wound, as Loki applied what he could of his healing magic.

“So, that’s it?” Peter limped forward. “What can we do now?”

“We went into a parallel world…” Tony said, to Stephen.

“Oh, that is possible but rare,” Mantis said, struggling to stand and being helped up by Drax.

“Thanos used the reality stone,” Stephen said. “We were all sent momentarily to a parallel world.”

“I was still on Thanos,” Peter said. “But you guys went into a parallel world? That is awesome!”

“You still would have-“

A portal opened up behind them. Tony stiffened and Loki stood. A collective sigh fell over the others, as Thor rushed through, followed by the giant tree and racoon they had seen earlier.

“Loki! Tony!” Thor rushed over to them. “It is too late, do you understand? I am sorry.”

“We’re together, Loki and me, this universe, as in you’re _our_ Thor?” Tony asked.

Thor ignored him and grabbed Loki, pulling him into a firm embrace. “The sun shall shine upon us again, my brother.”

“Thor, why would you…?” Loki’s pale eyes widened. “No…no, please no…”

With his hand cupping his brother’s left cheek as he smiled, Thor dispersed to ash.

“No!” Loki dropped to his knees, sobbing into his hands, which were covered in his brother’s ash.

With horror, Tony looked around, to others disintegrating to ash. All of the guardians, but for the racoon and Nebula, fell prey to Thanos’s final victory.

“It had to be done, I’m sorry,” Stephen said, before he too dispersed to ash.

“Mr Stark. I don’t feel so well,” Peter said.

_No… oh god no…_

Tony held him in his arms.

“I don’t want to go…”

Tears coursed down Tony’s cheeks, as Peter disintegrated to ash, in his arms.

“Tony…” Loki’s strong arms were around him, Loki’s warmth pressing into his back. “I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have given him the tesseract… I shouldn’t have…I wanted to save Thor, save you…. But I shouldn’t have…”

Tony looked up, to Nebula the only other survivor.

“He did it,” Tony said. Loki sobbed. No tears from Nebula nor from him. He grabbed Loki’s hand and held it.

_So many dead._

He survived. In the luck of the draw, he was chosen to live. Turning around, Tony cupped Loki’s jaw, gazing into his streaming blue eyes.

“What choice did you have? What Stephen Strange was trying to say, is that this was the only possible outcome.” He kissed his mouth, tasting salty tears. “I love you,” he whispered and embraced his sobbing partner, held him until his own tears fell.

“I am sorry. I am sorry for all that I have done,” Loki said.

“I am too,” Tony said.

_Afghanistan…New York… Ultron… maybe it was all leading up to this moment. Maybe there was never going to be any other outcome._

They released and stood, hands clasped firmly together.

“What now?” Nebula asked.

“What else? We find a way to destroy that asshole and his gauntlet. For good, this time, and we find a way to bring everyone back,” Tony said, loping an arm around Loki’s waist and pulling him close. Loki responded with his own, strong hand pulling Tony’s up to his own chest.

“If I have to tear Thor hollering and hanging onto furniture from Valhalla, I will do it,” Loki said. “I will have my brother back. Tony, you will have your Bruce back. Nebula, you will have your Gamora back. And I will have Thanos’s head on a spike I will use for target practice with my knives!”

“Now that is a plan,  I can get behind,” Tony said, lifting Loki’s hand and kissing the warm flesh.


End file.
